We bought a Mac. I like many parts about it. It syncs with my iphone etc...

I can't learn the dock. I am afraid we might need to move back to Windows. I can't stand it. I've tried explaining to myself how to minimize it into the corner and tried minimizing applications to icon, but no luck.

Is there an application to display a list? I'm not looking for alternative techniques for understanding. I really needs a list, not a dock.

Preferably it would work look similar to Windows Dock.

Having used applications like Quicksilver before, and knowing the ingenuity and geniuses in the Mac community it feels like someone could create something like this.

I wonder about her trying to use Launchpad? That way, you would clean off the dock - completely - except for Finder, which you can't remove, and the Launchpad icon. Then the programs that are open will appear down in the dock. Just a thought. Obviously, you have BootCamp if all else fails as well.
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bassplayer7Jan 27 '13 at 3:04

@bassplayer7 It really becomes an issue when she has more then one of the same application open. For example she will get confused when she opens 2 Word Documents. She can't understand where to click to bring up the last one.
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WilliamJan 27 '13 at 4:12

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How did she solve the "two Word documents" situation in Windows? If you are looking for an app to mimic the Windows Taskbar we should know in detail how she worked through the different Use Cases during the day.
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patrix♦Jan 27 '13 at 9:08

If it's just a matter of minimizing, what about going to System Preferences > Dock and un-checkmarking "Minimize windows into application icon"? That keeps every window separate. I'm still thinking out loud here.
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bassplayer7Jan 27 '13 at 14:40

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@patrix Good catch. The picture doesn't represent her set up exactly. In her system, the taskbar would display Documents side by side in the taskbar. The grouping feature would be unchecked under "properties" so yes the picture is wrong.
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WilliamJan 27 '13 at 19:41

5 Answers
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DragThing is a commercial application that can display a list of running applications. It can be configured to create a Windows-like taskbar.

Click the  in the topleft corner, click Dock, then click Left or Right to move the dock to left or right. (so it won't get in the way of the Windows-like taskbar you are going to create, while you can still use it as a handy app launcher.)

Open the downloaded DMG file, drag the DragThing icon to the applications folder, delete the DMG file, open the applications folder (or Launchpad if you have Mountain Lion) and open DragThing.

Make sure DragThing is the active application (It says "DragThing" next to the  in the topleft corner then), press ⌘+0 and close all the DragThing windows except the one that appeared when you pressed that.

Right click on the window that appeared when you pressed ⌘+0 and click Rotate.

Here is some more information about DragThing, in addition to com. BOY's answer.

I have owned and used this program for more than ten years. There is a free trial; the app costs US $29.

Among other features, DragThing can be configured to display a floating "Process Dock", a panel of the icons of applications that are currently open and running -- and only the ones currently running. Unlike the Dock, it does not show icons of applications that are not running right now. (You can create other panels or docks to display tabbed groups of icons of frequently-used applications that you want to launch.)

You can position DragThings' Process Dock on the bottom of the screen if you want; I have it in the upper-right corner of my screen. Visually, you can choose from many different color schemes and designs. I chose the "heads-up-display" translucent black design.

In the "Process Dock", clicking on one of these open application icons will immediately bring that application to the forefront. This is analogous to the bar at the bottom of the Windows desktop.

There are four kinds of panels or docks that DragThing can create:

Dock to show tabbed multiple panels of your favorite apps organized
and grouped any way you like

Disk Dock to show connected hard disks, CDs and DVDs, and servers

Process Dock, as I have discussed above

Window Dock to show open application windows (your elderly relative might be able to use this too.)

DragThing is not designed to be "Windows-like". If anything, it resembles features of Mac OS 9, the "classic" MacOS. But I think it will do the trick.

DragThing has myriad configuration settings that you can customize; far too many. It's daunting. But once you figure out the features and configure it the way you want, it will just work.

I have used DragThing for more than ten years. I can't live without it.

Having configured everything I want in two DragThing panels: a Process Dock in the upper right-hand corner of my screen; and a tabbed icon panel on the bottom of my screen, I subsequently banished Apple's Dock off the screen and I virtually never use or look at Apple's Dock anymore.

DockShelf is a general Dock replacement and can be used to add process docks to any side of the screen (shown at different sizes, styles and as a tab in the screen shot).

I use Windows on and off for short periods of time and managing windows is a problem for me also so I'd recommend not minimizing windows at all but instead hiding an application (command-H) when you're not using it.

When you select another application using any of the dock methods mentioned, all the windows will appear on screen at once.